The First Time I Heard Incubus

I was 10 years old in the fourth grade, and it was career day at my school. Friends and family came to school to tell us about their careers. We were allowed to choose one career that interested us, and we spent the day with someone who worked in the field. I picked cosmetology. I remember being bored out of my mind, which is funny because now it's something that I'm greatly interested in! Anyway, the hot career of the day ended up being someone who worked for the local radio station. He actually handed out CDs! Anyone who didn't choose radio DJ as their career of the day totally missed out, I was so bummed.

At the end of the day everyone was buzzing about the radio DJ and how cool he was. I was mad and just wanted the day to be over already. I really don't remember how or why, but little Frankie...the quiet kid that no one really liked (I thought he was nice, but then again I was one of the quiet kids that no one liked also), said that he didn't want his CDs and that I could have them. Wow, was I lucky or what?! He gave me a Shakira CD, and...Incubus? I'd never heard of them...

I couldn't wait to get home and listen to my new CDs. Now, keep in mind that up until this point in my life the only CDs I had ever owned were Britney Spears, N*SYNC, and Backstreet Boys.

When I got home, I ran straight to my room and tore the plastic wrap off my new CDs. I opened them up and looked inside, I was instantly intrigued by the artwork on the Morning View disc. I tossed the Shakira CD aside, grabbed my portable CD player, popped the disc in, & put in my earbuds...

...and I waited. I couldn't hear anything. Was the disc broken or something? I turned the volume all the way up, as high as it could go. I started to hear the faint beginning of "Nice to Know You", Brandon quietly riffing. My heart sank and I groaned, was this going to be some kind of rap/hip-hop album? It got quiet for just a second, and then...

BAM. In comes the crashing guitar, at max volume directly into my eardrum. I must have jumped 20 feet in the air. It literally blew my mind.

And that was my first experience with Incubus. It's funny to think back on, just because of the way it happened. But really, it was like nothing I had ever heard before. Each song had such a different sound & feel, and the lyrics were so powerful. I listened to the entire album from start to finish as I laid on my bedroom floor doing homework and drawing pictures. I was astounded by "Aqueous Transmission", I'd never heard anything so beautiful.

I wish I could thank that kid Frankie, who knows if I would have ever found Incubus without him giving me that CD. Needless to say, I never touched a Britney Spears or N*SYNC album again; nor did I ever listen to that Shakira album. I never looked back.